Benefits of Getting Help with Your Hearing Loss
The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) has been conducting research and engages in hearing health education with the goal of helping people with hearing loss benefit from proper treatment.
If you or someone you know has been avoiding getting help with a hearing problem – think again – research shows that those with hearing loss who use hearing aids enjoy a better overall quality of life.
If you already wear hearing aids, you know the kinds of benefits they give you. Hearing aids have most likely made it easier to have conversations with your friends and family—especially when you’re out at restaurants or in a group.
But hearing aids do much more than enrich your social life. They may actually have a profound impact on your brain by keeping you mentally sharp, lowering your risk of depression, and improving your balance.
If you already wear hearing aids all the time, pat yourself on the back; you may be improving your brain function! If you only wear them occasionally (or rarely), here are four facts—backed by medical studies—that may encourage you to wear them more often.
1) Hearing Aids May Lower Your Risk of Age-related Cognitive Decline
In this 25-year study, scientists measured mental decline in people with hearing loss and people with normal hearing. The study found that people who had hearing loss—and chose not to wear hearing aids—showed significant mental decline compared to people with normal hearing. However, people with hearing loss who wore hearing aids performed the same on cognitive tests as people without any hearing loss! Want to stay sharp as you age? Keep wearing those hearing aids.
2) Hearing Aids Can Improve Memory and Mental Acuity
A recent study from Texas A&M University tested a group of people with hearing loss on a series of tasks to measure their memory, ability to focus, and the speed at which they process information. Then they gave the participants hearing aids. After only six weeks of wearing hearing aids, participants saw improvements in all areas of cognitive function. They could remember things better, focus better, and showed they were processing information faster than before. Not only can hearing aids keep you mentally sharp, but having better memory and focus as well as faster mental processing actually makes you seem younger to the people you interact with every day!
3) People Who Wear Hearing Aids Report Lower Levels of Depression
The National Council on Aging surveyed over 4,000 people with hearing loss, both with and without hearing aids. Among a myriad of findings, they discovered that people who chose to wear hearing aids reported lower levels of depression and showed fewer outward signs of being depressed. They also found that people with hearing aids showed greater emotional stability and their families reported that they were less likely to become angry or frustrated. Overall, respondents who wore hearing aids felt that they had more control over their lives and a more positive outlook in general. To stay positive and happy, make sure you’re wearing your hearing aids.
4) Hearing Aids Improve Balance and May Reduce the Risk of Falling for People Over 65
Although hearing loss has long been associated with an increased risk of falls in older adults, researchers at The Washington University School of Medicine found that, people with hearing loss performed better on balance tests and were less likely to fall when they wore hearing aids. Having better balance with hearing aids means a reduced chance of major injuries and a lower risk of expensive hospitalizations.
Do you want to experience better brain function, lower your risk of depression and mental decline, and be at lower risk of falling? Wearing your hearing aids more often can help. As a side benefit, the families of people who have hearing loss report that those who wear hearing aids participate more in social activities and have better relationships with the people they love as a result—creating a higher quality of life overall.
We encourage you not only to wear your hearing aids more often for your own benefit but to also pass this information on to family and friends who haven’t yet addressed their hearing loss and encourage them to get it checked out.
Let’s help everyone improve their lives and long-term health by treating hearing loss today!
In fact, you just may be surprised—and inspired—by these five things that treating hearing loss says about you:
YOU’RE A GO-GETTER.
Research has found that people with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to tackle problems actively. Addressing hearing loss shows self-assurance and a willingness to deal with issues head-on. Most hearing aid users in the workforce even say it has helped their performance on the job.
YOU VALUE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
Healthy relationships rest largely on good communication. Treating hearing loss lets close family and friends know that you want to stay connected and involved in your relationships with them. Most people who currently wear hearing aids say it not only helps their overall ability to communicate effectively in most situations, but it also has a positive effect on their relationships. And they’re more likely to have a strong social network.
YOU LIKE TO BE ACTIVE.
If you enjoy an active lifestyle, you’re not going to let untreated hearing loss stop you. Treating hearing loss means you have every intention of keeping up the pace of a fulfilling life. In fact, people with hearing difficulty who use hearing aids get more pleasure in doing things and are even more likely to exercise and meet up with friends to socialize, research by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) shows.
YOU LOVE LIVING LIFE.
The more exuberance you have for life, the less likely it is you’ll let untreated hearing loss get in your way. When you address hearing loss, you let the world know you love living life, and you’re going to live it with gusto. Research even shows that people with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to be optimistic and feel engaged in life.
YOU’RE TECH SAVVY AND MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT MODERN LIFE HAS TO OFFER.
Sleek and cutting-edge, today’s wireless hearing aids are a front-runner in personal consumer electronics. At its best, technology offers solutions, enriches life, and makes us more efficient. Today’s modern hearing aids do all three. When you invest in your hearing health by using state-of-the-art hearing aids, you make it clear that you’re a present-day thought leader ready to reap the rewards that modern technology has to offer. It also means you’re up-to-date on the tremendous advances in hearing aid technology.
Contact us for more information hearing loss and hearing aids or call to schedule an appointment to discuss your hearing needs today.
If you, or someone close to you, have hearing loss or difficulties, and you’d like to learn more about the Widex BEYOND aids, we invite you to have a free consultation with our expert audiologist.
Resonance Audiology & Hearing Aid Center, LLC audiologists are here to support you with superior hearing healthcare, hearing aids, and treatment solutions for you or your loved one – call us or visit us – 717.925.6112.